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The big item I don't hear too many folks talking about is the nitrogen-based fertilizers we obtain from natural gas. That's an issue at the center of the Russia

The big item I don't hear too many folks talking about is the nitrogen-based fertilizers we obtain from natural gas. That's an issue at the center of the Russian invasion of the Ukraine. Russia's halting of natural gas shipments to the West doesn't just affect heating homes, it affects fertilizers as well. Soaring fertilizer prices are playing a part in our soaring food prices. The interesting question is do we have to be carbon-neutral to avert the largest calamities due to anthropogenic climate change? Can we continue using natural gas to produce fertilizer? Are some crops more fertilizer-intensive than others?

kyrra 4y ago
Also plastics are used all over the medical industry and other places that help save lives. We have yet to have an alternative to these.
- taylodl 4y ago
  For both of these scenarios, nitrogen-based fertilizer and plastics used for medicine, I don't know how much they contribute to atmospheric C02. For example, how does using oil to make plastic compare to using oil for transportation? How does using natural gas for making fertilizer compare to using natural gas to heat homes? I really don't know.
_hcuq 4y ago
Nitrogen fertilizers cause 2.5% of global GHG emissions. https://thefern.org/ag_insider/report-fertilizer-responsible-for-more-than-20-percent-of-total-agricultural-emissions/ https://thefern.org/ag_insider/report-fertilizer-responsible...
olddustytrail 4y ago
Fertilizer doesn't require natural gas. It requires hydrogen. Now, sure, we've generally got that hydrogen from natural gas, but that's just because it was the cheapest way...
- el_don_almighty 4y ago
  Most fertilizer starts with natural gas. It's a HUGE portion of agricultural carbon inputs https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2935130/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2935130/
  - ZeroGravitas 4y ago
    But doesnt require it. Think its likely that the recent IRA makes Green Hydrogen cost competitive with Gray so we should see some movements on this soon. Lots of incoming projects in Australia and I'm assuming the EU will be accelerating this due to recent invasions too.

kyrra 4y ago

Also plastics are used all over the medical industry and other places that help save lives. We have yet to have an alternative to these.

taylodl 4y ago
For both of these scenarios, nitrogen-based fertilizer and plastics used for medicine, I don't know how much they contribute to atmospheric C02. For example, how does using oil to make plastic compare to using oil for transportation? How does using natural gas for making fertilizer compare to using natural gas to heat homes? I really don't know.

_hcuq 4y ago

Nitrogen fertilizers cause 2.5% of global GHG emissions. https://thefern.org/ag_insider/report-fertilizer-responsible-for-more-than-20-percent-of-total-agricultural-emissions/ https://thefern.org/ag_insider/report-fertilizer-responsible...

olddustytrail 4y ago

Fertilizer doesn't require natural gas. It requires hydrogen. Now, sure, we've generally got that hydrogen from natural gas, but that's just because it was the cheapest way...

el_don_almighty 4y ago
Most fertilizer starts with natural gas. It's a HUGE portion of agricultural carbon inputs https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2935130/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2935130/
- ZeroGravitas 4y ago
  But doesnt require it. Think its likely that the recent IRA makes Green Hydrogen cost competitive with Gray so we should see some movements on this soon. Lots of incoming projects in Australia and I'm assuming the EU will be accelerating this due to recent invasions too.